This 40-45 credit program equips you to pursue advanced study in critical areas of music technology, including musical acoustics, computer music composition, digital signal theory, and digital audio processing. You’ll take at least one music class with a performance component, enabling you to study with guest performers, utilize cutting-edge instruments and facilities, and gain hands-on experience with live production. By the completion of the degree, you’ll gain both theoretical understanding and practical industry experiences, in areas like recording and production, game audio, acoustics and signal processing, music perception and cognition, electronic and computer music, and screen scoring.
Culminating Experience
The master’s program culminates in a written thesis that reflects an original contribution to the field of music technology, allowing you to bring your studies directly to bear on the research area that most interests you.. The thesis entails a public oral demonstration and defense.
Curricular Program Requirements
Graduate Music Theory and History Requirements
Basic competence in music technology, history, and theory is a prerequisite for all graduate students in the program. Entering graduate students are required to take advisory exams in these areas. You must take the placement exams before beginning your first semester. The music technology, history, and theory placement exams can only be taken once. If you do not pass, you will be required to take remedial classes (up to a maximum of 9 credits) to fulfill the requirements. These classes and credits will not count toward your degree. See more information on music theory and history placement exams. See more information on music history and theory placement exams.
Based on placement results, you may need:
-
MPATE-GE 2590 Graduate Fundamentals of Music Technology 1 Credit
A general introduction to the fundamental concepts of music technology, including: sound propagation, the principles of microphone operation, the use of speakers and mixers, the MIDI standard and its implementation, the basics of digital systems, waveform editing and audio file formats and compression. The lectures will be complemented by practical assignments and demonstrations, through which students will gain a basic understanding of how to use technology to enhance and demonstrate their musical work.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATC-UE 18 Basic Musicianship I 2 Credits
The development of fundamental musical skills and the undestanding through creative application of listening, singing, playing, writing, and analysis. Emphasis on aural development as essential to musical growth. Open to all members of the University community.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATC-UE 19 Basic Musicianship II 2 Credits
The development of fundamental musical skills and the undestanding through creative application of listening, singing, playing, writing, and analysis. Emphasis on aural development as essential to musical growth. Open to all members of the University community.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATC-GE 2930 Review of Tonal Theory I 1 Credit
This first course in a two-semester sequence reviews and extends material covered in a standard undergraduate music theory sequence, from the phrase model through elements of tonal counterpoint and chromaticism to a study of large-scale forms. Emphasis on Western European tonal traditions of the 18th and 19th centuries, with excursions into 20th-century repertory as appropriate. Lectures focus on analysis, dictation, and written theory skills and homework assignments and dictations reinforce class content. Level I discusses diatonic tonal harmony.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATC-GE 2931 Review of Tonal Theory II 1 Credit
This second course in a two-semester sequence reviews and extends material covered in a standard undergraduate music theory sequence, from the phrase model through elements of tonal counterpoint and chromaticism to a study of large-scale forms. Emphasis on the Western European tonal traditions of the 18th and 19th centuries, with excursions into 20th-century repertory as appropriate. Lectures focus on analysis, dictation, and written theory skills and homework assignments and dictations reinforce class content. Level II focuses on chromatic tonal harmony.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
Music History option, choose one:
-
MPATC-UE 1067 Music History I 2 Credits
The history of music and musical styles from the antiquity through the Renaissance.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATC-UE 1068 Music History II: Baroque & Classical 2 Credits
The history of music and musical styles from the baroque period to the present.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATC-UE 1077 Music History III 2 Credits
The study and analysis of 19th and early 20th century works in various genres associated with the "Romantic Era," issues relating to racial and gender diversity during that period, and connections to late 20th and 21st century musical culture.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATC-UE 1078 Music History IV: Twentieth Century 2 Credits
Evolution of contemporary compositional techniques traced from impressionism to the latest avant-garde experiences.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
-
MPATE-GE 2472 Music Lit of the 20 Cent: Sound, Music, Tech (1900-Present) 3 Credits
This course tells the stories of composers, inventors, & entrepreneurs who opened music up to electronic instruments, new sounds, & new ideas of composition between 1900 & the beginning of the 21st century. Specific instruments will be examined, including the Theremin, RCA Synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, Buchla synthesizer, Synclavier, & Kyma. Specific compositions will be discussed. This course will define a starting point for ongoing innovation in sound design, composition, & the creation of new musical instruments.
- Department: Music and Performing Arts Professions
MPATC-GE 2472 counts towards Guided Elective credits.
The master’s program culminates with the submission and defense of an individual thesis document, to be completed under the supervision of one of the full-time Music Technology faculty members. The thesis should reflect an original contribution to the field of music technology, bringing the students’ classwork experiences and interests together with their potential career paths. Possible research areas include but are not limited to: technology-based performance and composition techniques, interactive music systems, spatial audio, tools for computer music, music information retrieval, digital audio effects, new recording, mixing, mastering, or production techniques, software development for music applications, etc.
Proposal: During the second semester, students enroll in MPATE-GE 2601 – Colloquy, where they are required to (1) identify a thesis adviser from amongst the full-time Music Technology faculty, (2) discuss ideas for their work and following review and approval by the faculty adviser, (3) submit a 2-page proposal containing: thesis title, brief introduction to the topic, motivations, goal and general work plan.
Thesis Draft: Once this proposal is approved, students begin on the project and enroll in the MPATE-GE 2602 to prepare the thesis, as well as discuss research methodologies and current literature in the field. Students should schedule regular meetings with their advisor.
Thesis Final Draft: In the student’s final semester, they will enroll in MPATE-GE 2603 – to finalize their thesis, make revisions and work on their presentation for defense. The thesis itself should be approximately 60 pages long, documenting the idea’s purpose and development, and its musical, aesthetic and technical implications. This document, to be completed by the end of the final year of studies, will be evaluated using the standard criteria for scholarly work. All sources for quotations and paraphrases must be documented. You may use any of the standard citation styles (MLA, Chicago, etc.), subject to your thesis adviser’s approval, provided you consistently follow a single style throughout the thesis. Creative graphics are encouraged to enhance the presentation’s visual impact. The title page should show the thesis title and the student name within the top half to two-thirds of the page. The bottom portion of the page should contain the following:
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Master of Music in Music Technology
in the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
in The Steinhardt School
New York University
Adviser: The Name Of Your Adviser
Reader: The Name Of Your Second Reader
[DATE:yyyy/mm/dd]
Oral Defense and Approval: After completing the document, students will submit copies of the thesis to both adviser and second reader and schedule a date for a public oral presentation, where the work is to be demonstrated and defended. Before this defense, students will secure a Thesis Approval Form from The Office of Graduate Studies, 82 Washington Square East, 2nd Floor, available here: Master's Thesis Approval Form
Upon successful completion of this defense, the student will submit two (2) printed copies, and one digital copy (as a .pdf) of the finished document (including any amendments or suggestions resulting from the defense process) to the Music Technology Advisement Office. Additionally, the Thesis Approval Form will be completed and signed by the thesis adviser and second reader, then filed in the Registrar’s office. Please note that the Registrar's Office requires this form to be signed before approving the student’s graduation.